Restaurant surcharges: Diners dig in and oppose hidden fees

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U-T Letter writers

Surcharge is just a bad business excuse

Re “Restaurants can impose surcharge, judge rules” (Jan. 31): A “surcharge” in order pay employees a living wage? These are the same business managers who weekly budget their ever-changing expenses for food, for utility bills and other necessities for running a business.

But they can’t budget their employees’ paychecks? And we depend on these same business people to prepare us a good meal?

Lyle Predmore

San Diego

Let’s face the truth regarding restaurant surcharges. A surcharge makes your menu prices look lower. I totally support this if a restaurant is completely upfront about it. Let’s face another truth. Voters approved a major increase in the minimum wage without understanding that all increases in the cost of business get passed on to the consumer. They voted for it and now they don’t want to pay for it.

Charles Fleming

San Diego

Judge says restaurant add-ons of 3 to 4 percent to cover increased labor costs is not a violation of the law.

The "pleased" owner of Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza checks in with the comment that the surcharge is "legal and fair." Well, he's got that half right.

Why should labor costs be treated any different than any other costs when setting prices for a restaurant?

When that little notice hiding at the bottom of the menu blames labor for the added fee, how many customers choose to reduce their tip so that these bloated tycoons serving them get a more reasonable return for their labor?

What's next, an adder at Marshall's? The price for that package of DVD's can hardly be expected to pay the total freight for the person that stocked them and took my money.